Coreid bug (family Coreidae), also called leaf-footed bug or squash bug, any of 2,000 widely distributed species of bugs (order Heteroptera), many of which are important plant pests. Coreid bugs are large, usually more than 10 mm (0.4 inch) in length. They occur in a wide range of environments and vary in size, shape, and colour. Their wings usually lie in a depression on the back. Some feed only on plants, others on insects, and some on both.

Amazonian leaf-footed bug (Diactor bilineatus).

E.S. Ross

One of the best-known coreid bugs in North America is the squash bug (Anasa tristis), an important pest of squash, melon, and pumpkin. It is about 15 mm (0.6 inch) long; and, although its basic colour is dull tan, it is covered with so many dark pits that it appears to be brown or black. Squash bugs spend the winter in the adult stage, living in debris or some other sheltered spot. In the spring they deposit conspicuous egg masses on the leaves of young squash plants. There are several generations each season.

Squash bug (Anasa tristis)

E.S. Ross

Squash bug (Anasa tristis) nymphs.

Dave

A number of species of coreid bug (e.g., Leptoglossus phyllopus of North America and L. membranaceus of Australia) have enlarged or flattened extensions on their legs, hence the common name leaf-footed bug. These insects suck plant juices from crops such as peas, beans, potatoes, and tomatoes. Leaf-footed bugs spend the winter in the adult stage. In warm climates there may be two generations a year. They may be controlled by insecticides or by the destruction of hibernation spots and alternate host plants.

The box-elder bug (Boisea trivittatus) is dark brown with three longitudinal red lines on the thorax and red veins in the first pair of wings. These coreid bugs feed mostly on box-elder trees. They pass the winter in groups in some dry spot, such as under a porch or inside a house. They can be controlled by spraying. The rice bug (Leptocorisa varicornis) does great damage to rice and millet in the Orient. Other Coreidae are known as gum-tree bugs and crusader bugs, the latter deriving from the pale cross on the wings of the Australian species Mictis profana. The mesquite bug (Thasus acutangulus) of Arizona and New Mexico is one of the largest coreids at 40 mm (1.6 inches) in length.